This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-302470 filed on Oct. 2, 2000 and No. 2001-232163 filed on Jul. 31, 2001 in Japan, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope, or more particularly, to an endoscope having two bending portions of a first bending portion and a second bending portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscopes have an elongated insertion member thereof inserted into the stomach, the intestine, or any other organ of a living body, or a tortuous hollow of a machine. The stomach, the intestine, or any other organ of a living body is three-dimensional and complexly tortuous. The insertion member of the endoscope must therefore be angled three-dimensionally finely.
For example, Japanese Examined Utility Model Application Publication No. 47-12705 has disclosed the structures of a distal bending portion and a proximal bending portion included in an endoscope having two bending portions, and a method of bending the bending portions.
As far as the structures disclosed in the Japanese Examined Utility Model Application Publication No. 47-12705 are concerned, the distal bending portion can be bent in a certain direction and the proximal bending portion can be bent in other direction.
However, when an endoscope is actually used for observation, the bent states of the distal bending portion and proximal bending portion like the ones shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 in the specification for the Japanese Examined Utility Model Application Publication No. 47-12705 must be retained intact.
For example, when an operator intends to perform biopsy or treatment using a therapeutic instrument with the bent state of the bending portion retained intact, the operator may have to release his/her hand holding an angling knob so as to proceed with the work of biopsy or treatment. Nevertheless, the Japanese Examined Utility Model Application Publication No. 47-12705 has not disclosed any mechanism for retaining the bent state.
An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope capable of retaining the bent states of a plurality of bending portions independently of each other.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope that offers ease of bending of the same level as that an endoscope having one bending portion offers.
According to the present invention, there is provided an endoscope having a first bending portion, a second bending portion, a first control member, a second control member, a first locking means, and a second locking means. The first bending portion is the distal portion of an elongated insertion member. The second bending portion is located at the proximal end of the first bending portion. The first control member is included in a hand-held unit proximal to the insertion member and used to bend the first bending portion. The second control member is included in the hand-held unit proximal to the insertion member and used to bend the second bending portion. The first locking means locks the first control member at a predetermined angular position. The second locking means locks the second control member at a predetermined angular position.
Other features of the present invention and the advantages thereof will be fully apparent from the description below.